93 
NEWTON’S DICTIONARY OF BIRDS. 
A | Dictionary of Birds | By Ls eck baie Nero | ene by I sy sey I 
with contributions from | R D LYDEK ..| CHa 
W.SHUF Hoste = ae ten acti: (Sheathb: bill-Z yg. odactyii, 
together with Index and Introduction) | London 2 —_ and Charles Black 
| 1896 [8vo, paper boards, pp. 833-1088 +i.-xil, + 1-124]. 
Wit the fourth part—which was issued by Messrs. Black a day or 
two before Christmas—this »wx/torum annorum opus of Professor 
appeared in ‘The Naturalist.’ In the part with which we are here 
concerned the principal author has a multitude of articles more or 
less short, but all interesting and many of great importance. Of 
these Sheld-Drake, Shoveler, Skua, Snake-Bird, Solitaire, Song, 
Swan, Tapaculo, Tinamou, Tody, Touraco, Variation (‘a seductive 
subject, and, it may be added, a greatly neglected but vastly 
important one), Warbler, Weka, Zosterops, may be specially noticed. 
r. Gadow’s contribution consists of articles on Skeleton, Skull, 
Sternum, Stomach, and Vascular System, together with several lesser 
ones. It cannot be doubted that the book is greatly enriched in the 
contributions of this gentleman; and no praise can be greater than 
that accorded them in the preface by Professor Newton. ‘They 
cannot fail to place the enquirer, be he beginner or advanced 
student, in a position he could not hope to occupy through the 
Study of any other English book, and, what is better, a position 
whence he may extend his researches in many directions.’ 
Mr. Lydekker has an article on the Stereornithes with illustra 
tions after Sefior F. Ameghino. The term Stereornithes, it may be 
remarked, is used to comprehend a group of extinct, flightless birds 
from South America. It was expected that the remains would prove 
of great taxonomic importance, but the most recent investigation 
has shown that this can no longer be entertained. 
Dr. Shufeldt has a short article on the Surf-Bird, Aphriza virgata. 
_ The introduction, which is based upon the article ‘Ornithology’ 
in the ninth edition of the ‘ Encyclopedia Britannica,’ is a history of 
ornithologists and ornithology written with admirable conciseness 
and yet with a charm of style that captivates the attention, while 
there are some beautiful passages that cannot fail to lay hold of the 
memory. The latter part—wherein the chief additions are found— 
Teviews the various attempts that have been made to establish 
a Natural Classification of Birds, and will be intelligible to the 
initiated on ly. The last dozen pages are extremely interesting, as 
they embody the author’s views of the present aspect of the subject, 
but it would be impossible to adequately state them here either so 
briefly or so clearly without transcribing them. Professor Newton 
March 1897. 
